Apple Pay has launched in India with Axis Bank as its first banking partner, allowing eligible customers to add supported Visa and Mastercard cards to Apple Wallet. The initial rollout does not include India’s RuPay network. Apple said the service can be used at participating merchants and through payment infrastructure partners including Cashfree, JusPay, Mswipe, Paytm, PayU, Pine Labs, Razorpay and Worldline. Acceptance may vary between merchants and terminals depending on whether the relevant acquiring bank or payments provider has enabled Apple Pay.
Apple Pay India Launch Brings Card-Based Payments to UPI-Dominated Market
Apple Pay launched in India with Axis Bank as its first banking partner, supporting eligible Visa and Mastercard cards at launch.
Apple Pay India launched with Axis Bank, bringing Apple’s card-based payments service to the world’s most populous country after years of delays.
The initial rollout includes eligible Axis Bank Visa and Mastercard cards but does not include India’s local RuPay network.
Availability also depends on merchants and payment terminals that have enabled Apple Pay, so it may differ depending on the payment infrastructure provider.
Apple Pay enters India through Axis Bank
Apple said Apple Pay will be available at millions of merchants across India, including Blinkit, Croma, Ixigo, Reliance brands, Tata 1mg and Zomato.
The company has enabled Apple Pay acceptance through its partnerships with Cashfree, JusPay, Mswipe, Paytm, PayU, Pine Labs, Razorpay and Worldline.
Eligible Axis Bank customers can add supported credit cards to Apple Wallet and use Apple Pay for online and contactless purchases.
But if the acquiring bank or independent payments provider hasn’t enabled Apple Pay, a payment might work at one terminal but not another.
This could result in patchy acceptance during the early rollout, even for customers with supported Axis Bank cards and compatible payment terminals.
Apple’s move comes after years of delays in a market where digital payments have evolved around infrastructure that’s very different from card-heavy economies.
Apple Pay launches, but UPI remains dominant. India’s Unified Payments Interface, or UPI, allows consumers to transfer money directly from one bank account to another, often without traditional card networks, using QR codes.
UPI dominates India’s digital payments, and Apple Pay’s initial card-based offering is a relatively small piece of the country’s payments ecosystem.
Unlike UPI, Apple Pay requires each individual card issuer and payments infrastructure provider to integrate with Apple's system before customers can transact.
Commercial terms had also become a sticking point in discussions with some major Indian banks, people familiar with the matter said.
People familiar with the matter say Apple is looking to take about 20 basis points, or 0.2%, on transactions, compared to about 40 to 50 basis points across the payments layer.
HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and SBI Card aren’t supporting Apple Pay at launch, reportedly due to ongoing negotiations around commercial terms.
Apple, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and SBI Card did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the launch.
Earlier in September, Reuters reported that Apple was preparing an October India rollout, starting with Axis Bank credit cards, before an eventual launch.
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Apple Pay India launch targets iPhone users
India’s growing base of iPhone users may like the service, as they are more likely to have premium credit cards and use contactless payments.
Even if Apple Pay remains in the niche at the start, the transaction fees could be another source of revenue for Apple from its growing installed base in India.
The launch also adds to Apple’s wider push into India that includes ramping up iPhone sales, local manufacturing and the company’s retail footprint.
According to an earlier report, citing Counterpoint Research, Apple had 28% of India’s smartphone market by value in 2025, up from 23%.
India is also becoming a more important manufacturing hub for Apple, accounting for an estimated one-quarter of iPhone production worldwide.
Business Standard reported last month, quoting an Indian government official, that India’s share of global iPhone production could go up to 30-35% in the next five years.
What comes next for Apple Pay in India
The launch was another sign of Apple expanding its India operations, Sprouts News said, but payments would need to be linked with banks and merchants for them to be widely adopted.
The immediate question is whether more banks, including HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and SBI Card, will join the service as commercial talks are underway.
Apple Pay’s long-term prospects will also depend on how well its card-based system works within India’s established UPI ecosystem and prevalent QR-code payments.
Wider bank participation and consistent terminal acceptance will determine whether Apple Pay becomes a mainstream payment option or remains focused on premium cardholders.
The launch therefore marks an important expansion for Apple in India, while its payments ambitions face a market already shaped by UPI’s extensive reach.
